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Language course benefits immigrants in city

Published Saturday January 10th, 2009

Community Graduate says he learned how to become part of different culture
                JEFF DUCHARME  B2 TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
  
SAINT JOHN - The value of immigration the region was easy to see during the graduation of 11 students from YMCA-YWCA Employment Language Training Program Friday.

The benefits are even clearer in the hopes and dreams of Dr. Chol Kim's two children. Kim, a graduate of the course and already employed as an emergency doctor at the Saint John Regional Hospital, moved here from South Korea two years ago with his wife and two children. One child is in high school and the other is already in university.

"They both want to be a doctor in New Brunswick," Chol said. The course, he said, taught him how to become part of a new and different culture.

"We have to survive; for that we have to know about getting a job and working with Canadians."

Funded by the provincial and federal governments, the course teaches employment training skills, computer training and offers work placements.

John Barrett, the provincial director of Citizenship and Immigration, addressed the graduates during the brief ceremony. "This is one more step in your journey," Barrett said.

Just a decade ago, barely 700 refugees would choose to immigrate to the province, but with provinces now able to nominate immigrants and fast track them through the system, Barrett expects that number to increase to 2,000 by the end of 2009.

This year's graduates came from Korea, Colombia, Iran, Japan and Jordan.

Getting immigrants to come to New Brunswick is not the most daunting issue, the challenge is keeping them here. Immigrants often move to larger centres such as Toronto or Vancouver in search of a sense of belonging in the larger immigrant communities that exist there.

For David Chung, the smaller population of Greater Saint John was something he welcomed. He and his family now call Quispamsis home.

"I don't believe there are much more opportunities in the big city," Chung said.

The quality of life that Atlantic Canada offered was a huge drawing card for the South Korean. Here, he said, his children will get a quality education and the place they now call home is a safe place where his children can thrive.

"People are very kind," Chung said. "I'd like to stay here."

Richard Campbell, director of settlement services with the YMCA-YWCA, said such courses are what sets the foundation for an ethnic community. If immigrants know they are not alone and meet people from their home country who face similar challenges and can offer support, it makes staying in New Brunswick more attractive and more likely.

Government is now focusing on not just attracting immigrants, he said, but keeping them here. "They've only started really looking at the retention part,"  Campbell said.
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